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  5. Managing or Disabling Clutter

Managing or Disabling Clutter

Clutter is a Microsoft Outlook feature that attempts to help you filter low-priority emails, saving time for your most important messages. The email server keeps track of the email you read and the ones you don't. Clutter is automatic. As a new email comes in, it takes messages you're most likely to ignore and puts them into the "Clutter" folder. The more you use it, the better it gets. And if you find Clutter isn't for you, you can turn it off.

Clutter Tips:

  • If you are using Clutter you may want to add it to your Favorites in Outlook to help you remember to occasionally check it. Right-click on Clutter and select Show in Favorites. More information about Outlook Favorites is available at https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Add-or-remove-folders-in-Favorites-8913f2d0-b167-48cc-8983-86fa9b0d945f
  • You can help Clutter learn your preferences. If you see a message that was sent to Clutter by mistake, right-click the message and choose Move to inbox, or drag the email from the Clutter folder and drop it in your Inbox. If you see a low-priority email in your Inbox, right-click the message and choose Move to Clutter, or drag the email from your Inbox and drop it into the Clutter folder.
  • Even if you have Clutter disabled Microsoft does not recommend deleting the Clutter folder. It may be automatically recreated and the Clutter features may be re-enabled.

How to disable clutter

Turn off Clutter in Outlook Desktop App

  1. In Outlook, right-click the Clutter folder and select Manage Clutter. (If you don't see the Manage Clutter option, Clutter may have been disabled for your organization or you may be using Focused Inbox now. See the next section for more options.) 

  2. Sign in to Outlook on the web using your work or school account. For help, see Sign in to Outlook on the web.

    This will take you directly to the Clutter options page.

  3. Either uncheck the box Separate items identified as clutter or select the option Don't separate items identified as Clutter depending on which option you see on the Clutter options page.

  4. Click Save to turn off Clutter.

The Clutter folder remains in Outlook even after you turn off the feature.

Turn off Clutter in Outlook on the web

  1. Sign in to Outlook on the web. For help, see Sign in to Outlook on the web.

  2. At the top of the page, select the App launcher > Outlook.

  3. At the top of the page, select Settings, and under Your app settings, select Mail.

  4. Under Automatic processing, select Clutter.

  5. Either uncheck the box Separate items identified as clutter or select the option Don't separate items identified as Clutter depending on which option you see on the Clutter options page.

  6. Click Save to turn off Clutter.

  7. The Clutter folder remains in Outlook even after you turn off the feature.

Turn on Clutter on the Web

Steps to turn on Clutter:

  1. Sign in to Outlook on the web. For help, see Sign in to Outlook on the web.

  2. At the top of the page, select the App launcher > Outlook.

  3. At the top of the page, select Settings, and under Your app settings, select Mail > Layout > Focused Inbox. Choose Don't sort messages.

  4. Refresh your browser.

  5. On the navigation bar, return to Settings and the Clutter options should now be available: Settings  > Mail > Automatic processing > Clutter.

  6. Choose Separate items identified as Clutter > Save.

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Details

Article ID: 11701
Created
Mon 3/14/16 3:35 PM
Modified
Fri 9/9/22 1:32 PM